Auld Lang Syne, originally a poem by the Scottish bard Robert Burns, is what people traditionally recite or sing at the stroke of midnight to welcome the New Year.

It is amusing that most people do not understand all its words or know its history. Nevertheless, many do try singing it.

Dating to 1788, Burns' Auld Lang Syne continues to have a huge impact on popular culture, as one of the world's most important pieces of literature. The poem is sung to an old Scottish folk melody, and its title, literally, means old long since -- a more meaningful translation would read for old time's sake.

It has traveled and embedded itself in cultures across the globe, The Washington Post quoted Burns' biographer Robert Crawford as saying, It's a malleable song -- it's quite unspecific about the nature of friendship -- so it lends itself to many different occasions.

Incidentally, typing Auld Lang Syne into the search bar on YouTube will bring up more than 32,000 versions of the song, sung by a wonderful array of people.

Finally, a Washington Times report lists the 10 best available Auld Lang Syne videos for 2011. The report says the list was prepared as per the order of interest, originality and effectiveness.

Check out the list below.

Meanwhile, here are the lyrics to the original Scottish version of Auld Lang Syne:

1. Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And days o' auld lang syne.

Chorus
And for auld lang syne, my jo,
For auld lang syne,
We'll tak a cup o' kindness yet,
For auld lang syne,

2. And surely ye'll be your pint-stowp!
And surely I'll be mine!
And we'll tak a cup o' kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.
3. We twa hae run about the braes
And pu'd the gowans fine;
But we've wander'd mony a weary foot
Sin auld lang syne.

4. We twa hae paidl'd i' the burn,
Frae mornin' sun till dine;
But seas between us braid hae roar'd
Sin auld lang syne.

5. And there's a hand, my trusty fiere!
And gie's a hand o' thine!
And we'll tak a right guid willy waught,
For auld lang syne.

Source: Scottish Government.

1. Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians (1953)

2. Red Hot Chilli Pipers

3. Schwinn Bell Choir

4. Jimi Hendrix

5. Barenaked Ladies in Tempe, Ariz., with fireworks

6. Beach Boys

7. Beethoven Arrangement

8. BBC broadcast with orchestra and chorus

9. Shirley Temple, 'Wee Willie Winkie' (1937)

10. Susan Boyle, singing in an NBC 2010 retrospective